to see that smile once more
by anekimetes
Summary: As he held his new born daughter close to his chest protectively and smiled at his wife, Karin saw her deepest desire being fulfilled. Sarada's birth and Sasuke and Sakura's relationship as seen through the eyes of Karin Uzumaki. /Sasusaku.


**To see that smile once more.**

* * *

The air breezed lightly, carrying the particles of sand along with it. Large birds could be seen flying high in the sky for the temperature was moderate in the always burning land of the Wind Nation. And such weather itself was a proof of spring being on its way. But the calm wind, restful birds and the soft, peaceful rustle of the rare-found plants in the ever tropical Southern region was brutally interrupted by a loud scream that came out of Orochimaru's hideout, which resulted in the vultures and hawks flying away in a haphazard manner and the peace of the atmosphere turning into a woeful, wordless, ballad.

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Another loud, painful cry escaped the lips of Uchiha Sakura, who was in the middle of fighting life and death inside the hideout of the snake sannin. The pinkette had, surely, faced and fought countless hurtful events in her life but even if she had the strength of breaking boulders and bones, this event was utterly aching, even for her.

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"Push, Sakura! Push!", exclaimed a worried yet determined red-haired woman. Her eyes, as seen through the lens of her glasses, held nothing more than sympathy and unwavering resolve. A resolve that kept on telling her that even though, it was her very first time delivering a child and she had no experience with it whatsoever, she was not going to fail, no matter what.

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"Aah!", another loud cry echoed the empty room as tears started to fall from the emerald, green eyes of the female Uchiha.

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All this time, as the two women fought together for the life of a child still unborn, a pair of onyx eyes, quietly watched the scene. Stunned and astonished, Uchiha Sasuke found himself unable to move a muscle as his eyes stayed firmly on the exhausted pinkette. Her long, pink hair were a mess, drops of sweat could be seen running down her temple one after another, her breathing was erratic, her eyes closed shut with more than necessary force and tears- _tears_ streaming down her face.

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And it broke his heart to see her like that.

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He had seen her suffering in pain, a lot of times, but he had never seen her like this, where she appeared like a human at the verge of death begging for its life. But one thing was common in between the tears he had witnessed before and the tears he was witnessing now. _He_ was the reason for them. For all the tears she had shed until now. In the past, it was because of his selfish desires of vengeance and change and this time, it was because of his selfish desire of wanting to start a family.

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 _Pitiful, wasn't he?_

 _._

"I can see the head, Sakura! Just a little more!", the last female Uzumaki stated as she tried her very best to carry out her task.

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Listening to those words, Sakura let go of a held back breath, trying to cope with the unbearable pain. May be that was what it meant to be a parent, to endure pain no matter what, in order to provide a future to a child, in order to protect a child. And she was a moment away from being a mother, a parent. And even though every bone in her body was throbbing in pain, this one thought was enough to warm her heart.

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She looked at her side, only to find her husband having a vacant expression. And thanks to the past decades that she had spent with him, she could understand that vacancy. She clutched their loosely intertwined hands, to break Sasuke free from his daze. "Sasuke-kun." She whispered politely, her teary eyes appeared like glistening diamonds to his eyes. A small smile embellishing her features and an expression of satisfaction decorating her face. And that was enough to chase away his doubts.

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The serenity of her eyes reminded him of the unsaid, untold promises they made to each other and her earnest smile told him she was content with everything. It was _their_ child who was yet to be born, _their_ flesh and blood, the embodiment of _their_ love. And the thought alone was enough to set his disturbed thoughts at ease. Even in the midst of it all, she could read him like an open book and provide him with hope, even when she was the one who needed it the most.

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He held her hand even tighter and a defeated smile crossed his lips. _How could he be so naïve?_

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The past was in the past. Now— was the time to redeem for his previous mistakes. She was in pain, and he was _not_ going to leave her alone. For all the times that she had cried herself to sleep, because of him; he was not going to let her cry _alone_ this time. He was going to stay there, by her side; and try his best to comfort her.

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With his hand wrapped protectively around hers, their fingers laced together, and his dark eyes fixated on his wife; they awaited what was yet to come. Sakura was exhausted by then, panting in between quiet screams.

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"Just a little longer, we're almost there!" Karin yelled, drops of sweat were running down her forehead as she rubbed it with the back of her palm.

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Sakura flinched, stimulated by a twinge in the lower part of her body. Her legs were sore and the abdominal region of her body felt lifeless. But her heart was engulfed with the feeling of euphoria. Such were the bittersweet perks of being a mother, she thought.

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Sasuke noticed, as a small— almost invisible smile crossed her rosy lips, even in the midst of her sharp shrieks and soft pants, which made him smile as well. His smile, like always, wasn't very apparent, but what it held was intimacy and tenderness.

.

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It wasn't long until the cries of pain changed into the cries of newborn child, and a high-pitched voice echoed through the hallways of the hideout. A deep sigh escaped Karin's lips as she brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead and fixed the frame of her glasses. Her eyes were fixated at the dark-haired baby in her arms, held firmly against her petite body.

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"We did it. Sakura, Sasuke." She smiled, looking at Sakura and then Sasuke; as she walked towards the bed where Sakura laid.

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Deep down, the pinkette knew she was somewhat prepared for such a moment, when she'd hold her child in her arms, when she'd become a parent, but this— this wasn't what she expected. She didn't know it'd be _so_ heart warming. She was physically in pain, but that didn't even matter anymore because her heart was pounding in her chest, with overwhelming emotions— the emotions she couldn't quite name.

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Karin now stood in front of her, with the baby in her arms, smiling. "It's a girl." she stated, as she pulled her away from herself as an attempt to let the mother hold the child. Sakura, on the other hand, couldn't think straight for a second, struggling to lift up her arms and _finally_ take the little being in her embrace.

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A tear fell from the corner of her eye— a tear of joy, for the bliss she was feeling was a newfound feeling. A kind of feeling she wanted to treasure. Pushing herself up, she raised her arms, waiting for _her_ little girl, waiting to _feel_ her little girl, waiting to cradle her little girl. And when she finally felt her warmth against her skin, she couldn't help but cry and smile at the same time. There, wrapped in a white blanket, was her little daughter, resting in her caress.

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She closely studied her features. Her black, spiky hair, which she definitely inherited from her father and her shiny, big forehead, which she inherited from her mother; it made her chuckle. Her long lashes which were brushing against her soft, chubby cheeks. And a calming aura that surrounded her— her presence alone was enough to soothe her.

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Karin watched her, as her smile turned into small laughs and tears kept on falling from her eyes. She looked like a mess, but that mess was utterly happy. And her expression could automatically make anyone else happy. Because that was just the kind of person Uchiha Sakura was. Her eyes wandered to where Sasuke was, and the expression he was having, was unknown to her. He appeared shocked, but also happy. Dumbfounded and stunned. And it was amusing to find the always stoic Uchiha in a state like that.

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 _He was now a father, wasn't he?_

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It was kind of hard to believe for Karin, for she had seen him at his absolute worst. At times when all he wanted was destruction, when he voluntarily pushed himself into the darkness, knowing good that the outcome would never be enough to satisfy anyone. Not even himself. Though, she couldn't understand why. At that time at least, just followed his lead, quietly.

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But now, he was a redeemed man. Who finally had a family. A wife, who loved him with all her heart and— a daughter.

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And it made her truly happy.

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"Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered, looking at him with teary eyes and a genuine smile plastering her face. She rubbed the soft cheek of their newborn girl, her palm gently massaging her scalp. "Sarada." She continued, looking at her husband, lovingly. "you should hold her too, Sasuke-kun."

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His body felt as if stungby something, paralyzed. So he didn't utter a single word, just stayed still, looking at his wife's face. She was looking _different._ Holding their child in her arms, she didn't feel like the old Sakura anymore. She felt more like a woman, a mother. And it reminded him of his mother. The way she kept on looking at the little girl, reminded him of how his mother used to look at him. It was such a tender sight to see that it almost melted his heart.

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 _And he? He too, was a father now._

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So he lifted his arm, as if expressing his desire to touch _his_ daughter. Sakura smiled at him again, this time— letting him hold their baby girl. And when he found her in his arm, the rest of the world turned blank. All his eyes could focus at that very moment was _that_ little human in his arms. She was so fragile, so delicatethat he thought she might break. She was like a human made up of love, through and through. Even being wrapped with a thick cloth, she gave off a type of warmth he knew he needed in his life again.

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He noticed her parting her eyes lightly, looking at him for a split second— and his activated sharingan managed to capture the moment perfectly. Her eyes— they were dark. As dark as that of his beloved brother. The same shade of dark, like that of oceans at night. And the warmth she gave off was like the warmth his mother used to give off, the warmth he'd feel whenever she'd hug him, the warmth which provided him with the feeling of family. The family he had lost, long ago. And the spark of her eyes, the eyes filled with life yet firmness, reminded him of his stern yet caring father. She was like the embodiment of the family he had lost. And it felt like he got them back altogether in the form of this little girl in his arm.

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And it took his breath away when her lips slightly perked up to form a small smile. A smile he was so familiar with. The same smile as the woman he called his wife.

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She was in a deep slumber, her eyes closed shut and her small hands curled up into small fists. And the small fists again reminded him of a certain hot-headed pinkette, that he loved. _A lot._ Her fingers were slim, showing the slightest bit of movement and her chest moved up and down, showing the pace of her breathing.

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And unknowingly, he already loved her beyond words could describe. May be that was what it felt like to be a parent.

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He now had a family. After all these years of staying alone and lost, he finally had a place to return. After losing all the love he once had, he now had another person to love. Another person besides the woman sitting in front of him. And all of this was only possible because of her. The person who had given her the most.

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He lifted his head up to see her, only to find her already looking at him, with tears falling from her eyes. She smiled when their eyes met, and not being able to contain his happiness, he smiled back at her. It was the smile he had given her years ago, when he promised her he'd be back.

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"Sakura, thank you." He whispered, his eyes showing every bit of the love he had for her, and it left her stunned and unable to speak.

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A pair of rubies kept staring at the scene, admiring it. A smile was embellishing her profile and when she saw Sasuke smile, she felt tears descending down her face. She could feel fluttering butterflies in her stomach and the pounding state of her heart. She had lived all her life, hoping to see this day. Hoping to see this smile again, and it felt as if all her wishes came true. It was just like the smile she saw years ago, when he saved her in the forest of death. The Sasuke that she fell in love with. And she felt ecstatic. Filled with nothing but contentment. But even if it was pure happiness she was feeling, she couldn't deny the sadness which was painfully hurting her chest.

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The person she loved was smiling because of someone else. And even if she was genuinely happy for the two of them, she couldn't overlook her own feelings. She saw her deepest desire being fulfilled along with a pang in her chest. And even if she was smiling, she couldn't hide the tears that were falling from her eyes. So she left the room, walking out of the doorway without letting anyone know.

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Sasuke's vision was slowly blurring and his throat ran dry. Tears were building up at the corner of his uncovered eye and being the kind of person he was, he could not let anyone see him like that. Specially _his_ newborn daughter. Even if he wanted to stay there a little longer, just looking at the only people he loved in the entire world, he didn't want to let them see him in his vulnerable condition.

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"Hold her, Sakura." he said, taking another glance at the child and handing her over to Sakura. Slowly standing up from his place, he looked at the pinkette once more before turning around, in order to leave. But he was a second too late and Sakura didn't fail to see the tear that escaped his eye.

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She had seen him crying, but this time was different. He was crying out of happiness, unlike all the other times, which made her smile. It made her realize how he was happy and satisfied with what _they_ had now. Whether it be the bond they shared, or the little daughter they now had, he was content with _everything._

 _._

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"who knew you were a softie, Sasuke." He heard a familiar voice speak, as he walked out of the room. He turned around to see Karin leaning against a wall, her arms folded and her eyes fixated at the wall in front of her.

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"Karin." He said in a relatively soft voice, which made her heart skip a beat.

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Even after all these years, after all the ups and downs between the two of them, she still loved him. But even if she still loved him, she was immensely happy for him. Happy— because, even she could tell, he was happy. Finally. And she wanted nothing more than his happiness.

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"You have a fine family now, Sasuke." She told him, pushing herself into a standing position, "take good care of them." She continued, smiling at him.

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He nodded, his nonchalant aura surrounding him once more, as he turned around to walk away, but he stopped in his tracks for a second, looking back through the corner of his eye. "You helped us, Karin." He stated, the tone of his voice showing the least bit of gratitude, as he continued to walk.

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She said nothing, just stared at his retreating back, smiling. He was the same person she had once met, she knew. His chakra was no longer dark and evil and he no longer was remorseful.

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"I did, Sasuke." She whispered to herself, as she decided to walk back into the room where the two Uchiha females were, the previous smile still visible on her face.

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* * *

 **THE END.**

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 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the above mentioned characters.


End file.
